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Sandeep Lamichhane - Nepal's 'Shane Warne'

Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane says his breakthrough Indian Premier League deal will give him the chance to play alongside the cricketing elite and promote the sport back at home.

Lamichhane, 17, became an overnight hero after becoming Nepal's first cricketer to enter the lucrative IPL, with Delhi Daredevils picking him in a mega auction Sunday.

His name was splashed across front pages of national newspapers and thousands took to social media to express their excitement. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba tweeted, "Not just me, but the entire nation is proud of you."

Lamichhane, who has been likened to spin legend Shane Warne, made the meteoric rise to the IPL just two years after being selected for Nepal's national team.

"If you get the chance to play in the IPL, lots of players will be there who are very experienced and I think I will learn a lot," Lamichhane, the son of a railway worker, told AFP in Dubai.

The teenager is expected to make Nepal more of a force in international cricket. They are the only South Asian nation not to have Test, one-day or T20 status, barring the isolated kingdom of Bhutan.

Lamichhane credits Nepal's senior players with popularising the sport among young people in a football-mad country.

"The senior guys have done something for the new guys who are coming right now into the teams, and their contributions have made our country a cricket-crazy nation," he said.

Lamichhane's talent was first noticed by former Nepal national cricket coach Pubudu Dassanayake, who spotted him at a training camp in 2015.

The spin-bowling sensation then attracted the attention of Australian great Michael Clarke, when he played alongside the former captain in a Hong Kong Twenty20 Blitz tournament in 2016.

Clarke invited Lamichhane to train at his cricket academy in Sydney, an experience the teenager described as unforgettable.

"Playing with a player like Michael Clarke is such as a big thing. It was amazing and sharing a dressing room with him and getting experience from him, it was something like a dream come true," he said.

'New Heights'

Lamichhane is currently in Dubai training with Nepal's national team ahead of the World Cricket League Division Two tournament in Namibia next month.

Nepal must finish in the top two to take part in the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in March. It has never qualified for the World Cup.

The sport's development has been hampered by the country's turbulent recent history, including a 1996-2006 civil war, and endemic corruption. The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) was struck off by the sport's global governing body in 2016 for political interference.

Lamichhane's base price contract of $31,499 may be small fry in the cash-rich IPL, which shelled out a total of $70 million for 169 players during the two-day auction.
But back home, many hope his success will revive the country's scandal-tainted domestic cricket.

The controversy had hampered Nepali cricket and young talented players were losing out, said CAN's Chumbi Lama.

"(Lamichhane) is a young talented cricketer and an impressive leg spinner," Lama said. “If he gets good guidance his future is very bright. He will lead Nepali cricket to new heights."

I am sure $31k is a boat load of money in Nepal currency. Good for the lad. Hope he succeeds like Rashid Khan.

Almost same as India , cost of living is ~25-30% lower there , but still good money .

I hope we can see more such cases of players from associate countries , not just in IPL also Bigbash , PSL or CPL . if the game has to grow in these countries , we need success stories and money can play a big part in that .

Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane will have his dream come true this summer when he plays in the KFC Big Bash League with the Melbourne Stars.

Lamichhane was one of two international players announced by the Stars on Tuesday, with England leggie Matt Parkinson also set to feature during BBL|08.

But it's Lamichhane who is sure to gain the most attention, with the 18-year-old having already struck up a relationship with former Australia captain Michael Clarke and impressed during a stint in the Indian Premier League.

Lamichhane played with Clarke in Hong Kong in 2016, before joining his mentor in Sydney Premier Cricket later that year.

The teenager boldly declared his dream was 'to play Big Bash' and that will come to fruition this summer when he turns out for the Stars.

"I am delighted to be joining the Stars, it has always been a dream to play on the MCG. I am very excited to join the team," Lamichhane said.

Lamichhane has already impressed in various T20 competitions around the world, having featured in the IPL for the Delhi Daredevils earlier this year and during stints in the Caribbean Premier League, Global T20 Canada and the Bangladesh Premier League.

Melbourne Stars list manager Trent Woodhill first saw Lamichhane bowl while playing for Nepal in the Asian U19 Championships and kept a close eye on him while he played alongside Stars teammate Glenn Maxwell in the IPL.

"Lamichhane had a successful IPL debut for Delhi and bowled well in the CPL," Woodhill said.

"We have high expectations that he will light up the BBL and become a star of the tournament."

Lamichhane will be with the Stars from the start of the Big Bash tournament, but is likely to miss much of January due to commitments with the Sylhet Sixers in the BPL.

Parkinson will fill in for Lamichhane while the Nepalese youngster is away, but it is likely he will return in time for the final three games of the regular season and any finals matches.

Parkinson is a promising leg-spinner with English county side Lancashire, and earlier this year he featured for the England Lions against West Indies A and India A.

Another international player is likely to be signed by the Stars prior to the start of BBL|08.

Nepalese are among the most resilient communities out there. They do not get a lot of mention because they are a small nation but their people are as hardcore as it gets.

I am friends with many Nepalese, mostly women and i can tell you a Nepali will never quit.

Having said that Indians are still far from giving respect to Nepalese and see them as night watchmen and momo sellers only. Proud that i am not one of these narrow minded Delhiites.

Thank you for the generalization. For your immeasurable contributions to human society you have been nominated for a Nobel peace prize. You are competing with my paanwala who recently said to me "Bhaiyya change nahi hai toh Cigarette ke paise baad main de dena".

Narcissism - Narcissism is the pursuit of gratification from vanity or egotistic admiration of one's idealised self image and attributes.

Today I visited @USEmbassyNepal to get the visa of USA for the upcoming @CPL 2019 tournament. Being a National Cricket Player representing my country in the various leagues since 2016 around the world, i got big surprise to see my visa got rejected. @PM_Nepal@USAmbNepal

Today I visited @USEmbassyNepal to get the visa of USA for the upcoming @CPL 2019 tournament. Being a National Cricket Player representing my country in the various leagues since 2016 around the world, i got big surprise to see my visa got rejected. @PM_Nepal@USAmbNepal